Ultimate Dream League Author's Commentary

[Dreamchild]

DO NOT READ COMMENTARIES BEFORE READING THE ISSUES FIRST!!! ALL CAPS!!!

If you're looking for anecdotes about two-faced celebrities, mafia run-ins, and tragic tales of substance abuse, this isn't it. But if you're looking for commentaries about every single Ultimate Dream League issue, from behind-the-scenes info to 'did you catch it?' Disney references, this is the place for you! You don't have to read the commentaries. Some people dislike director's commentaries and prefer to let the work speak for itself, and I understand that. But for those of you who are curious, it might be worthwhile to give the commentaries a read as they're updated. I'll try and keep them as short and to the point as possible, while still providing insight.

Thanks for reading! I'm eternally grateful.

Joseph

[Dreamchild]

ISSUE #1 COMMENTARY

SPOILER: Click to show

Issue #1 - "Zero to Hero Part I" Commentary

So, Ultimate Dream League has finally kicked off with a long issue. You all know the basics by this point: UDL is noncanon and is solely designed to be just one guy's narrative take on the Dream League mythos. This is not meant to be an arrogant, self-inflating thing. At no point have I ever thought, "This is how those fools should play their characters! Mwaha!" No, it's just one guy giving this series a chance. I encourage every single one of you to create your own alternate Dream League canon to at least play around with in your head.

Well, for Issue #1's commentary I should start at the real beginning. I can't remember how long ago this happened, but I guess it was about, uh, a year or so. Maybe a year and a half... or maybe a full year. The point is I had thought about this quite some time ago.

Emma was a Fantasmic Kingdom role-player who played Hercules from 2003 to her retirement in 2008. Despite retiring from role-playing, she apparently continued reading some threads in both FK and Dream League. At some point she and I kinda played around with a "What If?" scenario for the Dream League. Specifically, she asked what if Hercules was a member and nicknamed Wonderboy? That triggered something fun between us. I even wrote her a very short 'drabble,' as we call them, one night about Wonderboy fighting a cruel and powerful Megara. Dreamchild intervened and revealed that it was all a nightmare, and, in a very disgusting fashion, Megara's skin bulged and ripped off, revealing the bug-infested burlap sack of mean we all love to hate, Boogie Man. Dreamchild helped Wonderboy defeat Boogie Man, they woke up, exchanged overly cute "brother/sister" relationship sentiments, and that was that.

Sorry for jumping around in the timeline. Back to "give or take a year ago." I had an idea of making a present for Emma. The present would have been four very short 'episodes' of Wonderboy and Dreamchild in various situations. There were no origin stories; it was straight up, "Here are the heroes, they're in action, let's write about 500 or so words per episode." It was a planned Christmas present, but then I got the idea. Going over these ideas, I realized that they all had the potential to be something much bigger. Something that could be shared widely. So, they changed from an exclusive present for one person to what you have here. Hopefully Emma doesn't feel cheated!

She definitely was helpful with Issue #1 - "Zero to Hero Part I." For example, that all-too-important meeting of Hercules and Alice with the truck was all her idea. It wasn't mine; she gave me that scenario and I expanded upon it. In fact, a lot of Hercules's background--being a farmer's son and all--was Emma's creation. She's been pretty busy lately, so I never had the chance to ask her for "dialect coaching." This is the first time I've ever portrayed Hercules in a lengthy amount of time, so I'm sorry if I'm shaky at all. I'm confident he'll be a root-worthy guy pretty soon!

(EDIT: Actually, this is a lie. I forgot I wrote a terrible and long story that featured him. My bad.)

Ultimate Dreamchild has a few differences. You may have noticed, but this time she's much more adept in combat, and she's also a bit snarkier to bad guys, too. This was a conscious decision to help differentiate herself from Sunshine, who is truly benevolent and sweet. Don't get me wrong, she's still the Alice we all know, but in Ultimate she's a little less hesitant to call Smart Ass a "petty, little criminal."

Speaking of the Weasels, they're the first villains to be introduced, and I knew they had to be included. They were the perfect mental punching bag for Dreamchild, because they're all fisticuffs, guns, and melees... but they brought those weapons to a brain fight. Plus, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is one of my favorite movies ever, so any references to it are A-OK in my book. I apologize for the inconsistency regarding Smart Ass and Greasy versus the rest of the gang. Stupid and Psycho have changed wardrobes, but I kept Smart Ass and greasy the same. The simple answer is because I wanted it that way, but now I feel a little regret not making all wardrobes more seamless. And in case you're wondering why I had Psycho wear a hospital gown instead of a straight jacket, the answer is that I personally find hospital gowns way creepier. I don't know why, but they can freak me out when the right (wrong?) person wears it. Then again, I was once hospitalized and in bed for two weeks, so I became very familiar with the creepy aspects of the ward, gowns included.

The Star Wisher's illuminant buttons are inspired by an Alienware keyboard.

Hercules says, "I thought [The Dream League] was a basketball team." This is a very obscure joke. www.dreamleague.org/ I was referring to this.

I really hope I could see some of your reactions, guys, but I hope you all were happy to see Duckworth on board. He's going to be a rather prominent character in UDL! This is the first time I'm writing him, and it's been a serious blast so far. He's been the single most complimented 'performance' of mine. So, guess I don't have to feel too nervous!

Dreamchild/Alice said "kind of," and Hercules said "cool," which might make some of you cringe, but I have to make it a point that this is a modern setting. Alice's dialect and dictionary are, of course, beyond normal, but even I have to make her relatable, despite her fantastical life and powers. Also, that particular training room was originally going to be a gym with benches, treadmills, etc. But I knew a simulated test would have been far more interesting and far more necessary to witness Herc's strength.

The Masked Mallard is the closest the Dream League has to a commander, once again going by our mutual-appointed tradition. I really debated whether or not to have the Mallard and Avenger know each other's identities, and I ultimately decided to, indeed, have them know. I figured Duck Avenger would immediately start to piece it together upon hearing Scrooge as a "benefactor," and, of course, Duckworth's inclusion. This is different from classic canon, anyway, so this change should make for an interesting take.

I actually really love Grey Poupon. It's my favorite mustard. Yeah.

My favorite scene in the entire issue, if you care to know, is when Dreamchild and Hercules have the heart-to-heart talk on the bed (the one before Hercules falls asleep and dreams). One line Dreamchild says is, “We’re all fragmented pieces that come together to form a whole picture.” This is actually something I said in group therapy once, to describe how all of us depressed/anxious people had a bond, despite our differences.

I have no idea what the hell is up with the lacrosse-playing Troll dolls on the velociraptors. I knew I just wanted something ridiculous and kooky, and those three things together were the first to pop in my mind.

And, of course, there's Sunshine. She only appears in the last moments of the issue, but she is mentioned by name throughout. It's always fun to write her, because I will never get tired of the idea of a dainty, feminine creature having the power rip your head off. Hercules is struck by her beauty, she's charmed by his awkward demeanor and wants to spar with him sometime, so... what could go wrong?

Also, Sunshine's reaction to Herc's adorable awkwardness, when she's in the kitchen getting her dinner, was the last thing to be permanently settled in the final draft.

Who is the silent figure that padded into Herc's room in the end? I think the answer's pretty obvious to us, but the joy of posting this in other websites, or at least e-mailing them to non-DL savvies, is that they might be surprised. Yay!

So, that's the commentary! Some interesting bits, some "meh" bits, but that's what went on inside my head. Until next issue, yo!

Edit: The episode of The Twilight Zone Hercules refers to is "It's a Good Life." It's about a boy with godlike powers, and, while not necessarily evil, brings total fear and dictatorship because everyone must be nice to him or suffer horrific consequences.

As you've noticed, one of the things about UDL is that almost every background/minor character is a Disney character. For example, Zazu is the news anchor, Tony's Restaurant is mentioned, etc. In future commentaries I doubt I'll list the very obvious cameos, but here's one that was way too tricky and vague for its own good.



This is the jerk that almost hit Alice.

[Dreamchild]

ISSUE #2 COMMENTARY

SPOILER: Click to show

Welp, another issue down! I'm still finding my tempo and might be a little shaky for longer yet, but I definitely had fun with "Zero to Hero Part II." Don't worry, this story arc will be done soon; "Part III" will be the last, and then we can finally move on to a different arc!

When I started this series, for some reason I assumed every arc would just be one issue in length. Believe it or not, about half of Issue #2 was originally part of Issue #1. This entire arc was planned (and initially written) to be within a single episode. Of course, considering how freakin' long "Zero to Hero" turned out to be (and still going), I knew I had to split it.

Before I estimated eight issues for Volume I, but at this point I don't even know. If there are anymore multiparters that could throw that idea out the window. So, the new answer is "however long necessary." Also, keep in mind that not every issue will be as insanely long as "Zero to Hero I & II." In fact, some issues might not even come close. Lightning struck me (or was it Megavolt?) and I just churned those suckers out. So, don't expect UDL to be that long all the time.

The first thing I should say about Issue #2 is something we already know, but I think it's important to repeat. Calisota is one batcrap insane geographical oddity. It has a lush forest next to a CORRUPT METROPOLIS next to a WARM OCEAN, and if you went by original Disney comic men Calisota is in the top chunk of what we know as California... where I live! Nonetheless, I know this is one thing we all accepted; it ain't important where it's located, just that it's there. So, where do I think it's located in this universe? To be honest, I definitely think it's somewhere in the west coast.

So, as some of you called, Bongo is the little guy who crept into Herc's room at the very end of last issue. I hope I don't offend Heffy with this trivia, but the truth is Bongo almost got chopped from Ultimate Dream League. He almost got ditched. Yeah. Boo me, I know. I initially thought he couldn't offer anything unique to this story because of Wonderboy's inclusion. But before I really considered axing him, I remembered one unique and different thing about him: the unicycle. His unicycle, as well as his pantomimed expressions (none of the other members are mute!), prevented him from being scratched. I'm very glad about that, because I love the little guy. Unfortunately, I have some pretty big shoes to fill. Heffy makes him look so easy! And, wouldn't you know it, with the exception of Darkwing Duck, we have the original founding members of the Dream League, together! At least that I can recall. It's been a long, long time since 2010, you know.


That's right, Bongo. You almost didn't appear in Ultimate Dream League.

This is the second time Hercules's 'beloved cousin' is mentioned. Anyone wanna take a stab at who that cousin could be? (Some of you whom I've hinted to out-of-forum might know.)

"Greece Lightning" is both a play on words made by Duck Avenger, as well as an homage to a character Mands made in Star Wishers (yep, the OG Disney superhero RP) way back in 2006. Megara had electrokinetic abilities, so her alias was Greece Lightning.

I knew Duckworth wasn't going to speak that many lines in this issue, so I knew he had to be the one to come up with the very important line: "Wonderboy." Also, since the first issue it's been pretty much confirmed that Duckworth is near or at the top of favorite characters, judging by what I read and hear from everyone. That's so awesome. lol No sarcasm.

Originally, Sunshine's reasoning for why Wonderboy fits is, "It just sounds nice. Hehe." Without a real explanation that sounded too ditzy and patronizing, so now Sunshine just explains that it sounds like a coming-of-age thing.

You didn't miss anything; the reason for Bongo's deep liking of Dreamy has yet to be revealed. I almost did, but I remembered to not put all of your eggs in one basket. So, there's that cute scene where Bongo draws a heart. D'aw. That scene was an exercise to see if I could handle him well without quotes. I'll work on it.

The Dawes, Tomes, Mousely & Grubbs Fidelity Fiduciary Bank is the bank in Mary Poppins. It even has its own song.

Edna "E" Mode makes her Dream League debut, and it's in a different canon! Woo! I knew that The Incredibles had to be included in some way. If not heroes, then what about the costume designer, E? It was a very quick decision. A third-party making most of the League's costumes would've been more interesting than if they were all made in the Overlook, so... win-win. Of all the new characters introduced in this issue, E was by far the funnest and most challenging to write, for me. It was very tricky because her personality is so deliberate and precise. That said, I think I did consciously make her a bit 'warmer' in this world, especially to Alice. So, although I think some liberties were taken, I hope it didn't trample the character as you know. I love every minute writing her, as it was.


"And keep in touch, dahling. I enjoy our visits."

In the rough (first) draft, the Beagles would have immediately surrendered, only longing to talk to Sunny and tell her they're fans. But I think with an issue this long, having zero superhero action whatsoever would have made readers feel cheated. The Beagles simply like Sunny and want to pulverize her in a fitting, caring way.

Gaston was always planned to have a role in Ultimate Dream League, ever since the days of this series being planned as a small present for Emma. Sorry to be vain, but I really, really hope some of you were genuinely surprised by his entrance. I hope so. lol His polo shirt and pants were inspired by Brock Samson from The Venture Bros., but I tweaked it to color-wise resemble his movie's clothes.


"No one cameos like Gaston!"

Speaking of Gaston, Hercules says, "You saw how he looked at me? It's like he had skulls in his eyes." In Gaston's death scene in Beauty and the Beast, you can freeze-frame the movie at the right spot to see skulls in his pupils.



One of the biggest problems I have with myself is my insatiable need to have reasons. What would his parents think? What could he do to keep them at bay and not get suspicious? So, the Masked Mallard helping out Hercules was a way to keep a lid on his future career.

Dinah can never catch a break! She almost appeared in this series, but once again I decided not to... in favor of something else. Mum's the word. Also, while Dreamchild's grandmother has been mentioned in normal canon a few times, eventually she'll be explained more than before in UDL. She's still dead, for one.

Alice implies she bombed or at least did badly in choir. Do I really have to explain this one?

I originally planned to have the mannequins in that lower hallway leading to E’s workshop wear costumes that reflected Dream League characters that would not appear in Ultimate canon, as a bow of respect. Yet I scrapped this for three reasons: 1) it would have tipped the hand too much to the audience (break the fourth wall, immediately make it clear that they’re gone), 2) would have confuse you all, and 3) I feared I may change my mind down the road. After all, Bongo was initially planned to be dropped... the joke was abandoned. However, I threw in the Rocketeer and Condorman because I'm pretty damn sure neither of them are around in this time period.

Emma designed the costume, basing it off Superman (whom she is a big fan of), but with NO CAPE! I never got the chance to ask her about the choice of colors, but my geeky side hopes it's referencing old, OLD FK, which had the same color scheme. Either way, it's blue, and blue is my favorite color, and therefore it's awesome.

Wonderboy's nickname will be Wonder and, more to the point, WB. Dreamchild's is DC. DC Comics is owned by Warner Bros., I think. Talk about a coincidence.

Finally, a very dangerous supervillain is confirmed to be the antagonist of next issue! Ladies and gentlemen, please tune in next time for the electrifying conclusion of "Zero to Hero!"


"HAHAHAHAAA!"

Edit: I always forget trivia! Oh well.

Alice's civilian clothes in this issue is a white T-shirt with a Union Jack, bellbottomed jeans, and black sneakers. I really wanted to use Aelous06 (of deviantArt)'s "Alice 07" drawing of her, where her jeans had floral embroiders, and she looked stylish yet Alicey. I asked him for permission but I never received an answer, so I couldn't use it.

Final Edit: All right, I give up. I told Collin this fun fact which I initially chose not to post here, because I was embarrassed. But here it is. When I write rough drafts, I throw in every joke I can and dispatch the ones I find ill-suitable. I swing for every ball, basically. But there was one joke I wrote that I instantly deleted because it didn't sit well with me.

It would have occurred when Briar Rose and Hercules were together, talking about horses. Briar Rose would say how much she loves horses. Hercules, trying to be impressive yet innocent, would reply, "Maybe we could ride. [long pause] A horse. I have a horse back home."

You can immediately see why I got rid of this joke, yeah. Sexual jokes/double entendres WILL happen in this series, but that joke wasn't right, especially in that context. Hercules is too innocent to have made such a joke, even unaware, in that situation, and the two really shouldn't be subtly implying fornication anytime soon. So, yeah. Deleted.

[Dreamchild]

ISSUE #3 COMMENTARY

SPOILER: Click to show

So concludes the "Zero to Hero" story arc. Our first major plotline of Ultimate Dream League is outta the way and done. Am I totally satisfied? Well... to be honest, I think this is the weakest issue I've done to date. (If you disagree I won't correct you! ) For some reason this was the most difficult issue to write, and some of it had to do with explaining Epcot City and the Overlook. I had to think up of how the Dream League could leave and enter the Overlook without the Star Wisher. I had to make sure they could do that undetected, too, hence the Seclusion.

But, to be honest, I think my biggest problem is the endgame. Gigavolt is awesome, yet he's defeated almost instantly. Remember the would-be climax in FernGully: The Last Rainforest? Remember how Hexxus transformed into that badass skeleton, yet was defeated instantly? That's kinda how I feel about Gigavolt. (Just to be clear, Gigavolt is Megavolt; he's just overcharged and batshit crazier than usual.) But the good news is this is not the last time we'll see ol' Sparky, so chin up!

The reason for these shortcomings is that I rushed it. I knew I was going on a vacation within a week, so I wrote faster than usual. There was supposed to be a follow-up scene at the end with Miranda Wright in the hospital room, but rushing it meant having to drop it. So, I learned my lesson. Never again will I sacrifice quality for getting it released before vacationing!

I am happy I got to write Megavolt, though. This was my first time I ever wrote him, and to prepare I watched about 17 of the 19 Darkwing Duck episodes he was in. He's funny yet dangerous in the show, but in Ultimate Dream League he had to be kicked up a notch.

The reason I picked Megavolt is that UDL is a new beginning for the team, so why nog have a new villain for this rebirth? Of course, someone did make Megavolt years back but never posted, but hey! I still wanted a 'new' villain to go toe-to-toe with WB&DC.

Which brings me to this statement: THE VILLAINS IN UDL MIGHT BE MORE BADASS THAN USUAL. THIS IS SO THEY CAN FIGHT ACTUAL SUPERHEROES. That's why the Beagles had Tommy guns. That's why Megavolt hospitalized Miranda Wright and callously harmed Dreamchild. These villains can be funny and goofy, but they need to be reckoned with.

Speaking of Dreamchild getting zapped, I knew that had to happen. She's been portrayed as borderline invulnerable up to this point, and I needed to remind readers that she is vulnerable and not omnipotent. It also serves Wonderboy as a character; it's to get him to realize that this actually is seriously dangerous work.

Whew. Sorry to jump all over the place. Let me try and get back into chronological order!

The reason I have so many 'talk sessions' in these issues is that I always viewed Ultimate Dream League as an action-comedy-drama series... rolled into a feel-good teenage cartoon show. You know that feeling you had as a kid, watching your favorite cartoon and being warm and fuzzy? That's the feeling I'm trying to evoke here. I won't overdo it, though... or try not to. But, hey, the 'talk sessions' are very important, I think.

Dreamchild's story about Grandmother was kinda strange to write actually. I did initially write "Grandmother knew about my psychic power," but laughed and said, "No, that can't be." I told Collin about the change and he replied (not at all verbatim), "I don't see the problem; if handled right it could work." I thought he was onto something, so I evaluated Grandmother as a character and realized it did make sense, and it did help define her as a character (making Grandmother warmer is the reason why Dreamchild is who she is; it wouldn't work if Grandmother was the ice queen!). So, it was a "Wow, duh" moment for me. Thank you, Collin. In fact, I really should have credited you. Eh, I can edit it in.

I try to get Duckworth to appear as much as possible. I personally think it's funny how his insincere 'suggestion'--Wonderboy--got picked and he's amused by it. I can't guarantee that Duckworth is going to appear in every issue (I can't guarantee anyone will, as a matter of fact), but I will try my best to get him to show up when he can.

The mentioning of Wonderboy's pecs and abs, in my mind, help tell the reader that his pristine body is no longer an object of shame and ridicule, but of nobility and grace... and, frankly, sexuality. I felt it was necessary for Sunshine to take note; I don't think she could have disregarded it entirely without so much as a thought-based sentence. Similarly, I knew Wonderboy had to notice Sunshine's occasional awkwardness.

Alice's purse was actually a blunder on my part disguised as a plot element. I'm embarrassed to say, but yeah. I realized way too late that a purse was very unwieldy to store costumes and that a backpack would be more suitable. But why admit defeat when you can incorporate it into the story? Haha... heh.

Our very own Collin FINALLY gets to join the UDL party. There was no way in hell I would leave Cold Shadow/Maui Mallard behind. That said, his character is going to be a (fun) challenge for me because the character is kind of a blank slate in the original game (no offense, I don't mean that as an insult). It was up to Collin to define his personality the way it is in Dream League canon, so because it's pretty much his character... let's just say I hope I'll do well. I thought about telling him about Maui's inclusion and ask for consultation, but then I figured, "Nah, that'd spoil the pleasant feeling." I shall try to be worthy of my post, Collin.

I need to explain Alice and Maui's relationship very soon, because outside of the Dream League no one will have an idea. I gotta be quick. I didn't explain it here because I felt it'd drag the pacing down.

Vinny's cameo in this issue was both surprising and amusing, I hope!

Okay, now we're up to speed. Back to Megavolt! I actually did a self-performed test to confirm or debunk something. KIDS, DON'T TRY THE FOLLOWING AT HOME! I knew Dreamchild was going to crunch a CFL to provoke Megavolt, but I didn't know if they were easy to break or if they produced the right sound. So, I took a defective CFL, got a towel, placed it on the pavement outside, placed the CFL on top of it, and stomped it like Dreamchild did. Not only did the sucker break into many pieces, but the sound was very satisfying. Can't say I don't test things out for my work! And, yeah, the CFL-crunching scene was inspired by Men in Black. "I'm sorry, was that your auntie?"

I need to be very careful about making villains target their anger at Dreamchild. So, no, not every villain has a vendetta against her. And Quackerjack has been confirmed, so, woohoo! Expect to see him sometime.

Originally, Wonderboy was going to grab Dreamchild and jump out of the way inside the store. They would have crashed through the window and rolled away, a la Professor Layton. But I ultimately decided to bring the fight outside by having Wonderboy launch Megavolt through the window.

Yes, that's Geppetto in the crowd, and his endangered son is Pinoke. Originally they were generic, nameless fodder, but then I remembered my rule. "Oh, yeah... well, how about Geppetto and Pinocchio?"

Wonderboy had to come up with the last attack. I think he couldn't just tag along entirely; he had to come up with some on-the-spot, clever thinking. Wonderboy and Sunshine have the same rule: they can be naive, awkward, definitely shy, but NEVER STUPID. Yep.

The shadow on the rooftop was supposed to fool you into thinking it's Cold Shadow, but it's really Bert! How do you feel, Collin? You just got two birds with one stone! Haha. Bert and Sunshine, in this canon, are close friends. The two get along absolutely famously; both are very sweet, kind, compassionate, and have never-say-die dispositions. But I wanna see Bert interact with Wonderboy. I really do. Anyway, this is also the first time I ever wrote Bert, so sorry if my Van Dykish Cockney is godawful... or not godawful enough? I'm trying!

I'm sorry for Wonderboy's terrible joke, the one with the sunglasses. But I had to.

The paperwork is inspired by one of my favorite comedies, Hot Fuzz. Basically, even glorified heroes should have to fill out tedious paperwork. This gives the Dream League something to do outside of "let's go fight crime and then come back without anything to show for it." Plus, it might lead to some cute jokes down the road.

Sunshine's bioluminescence is a power that never surfaced in normal canon, at least to my recollection. I hope Heffy doesn't mind me saying this, but... the 'glow in the dark' power first came to light (if you'll excuse the pun) in a two-man email role-play that puts Sunshine together with Nintendo's bounty hunter of Metroid fame, Samus Aran. To date, this email RP has yet to be completed, but I'd like for it to be posted here if it ever gets finished. But I never forgot that power of Sunshine's, so I included it in the end of Issue #3. Remember, she has the power of the sun underneath that skin of hers. Oooh, baby.

Bongo's "mummified" bundling with bed sheets came from a dog I know. She loves to wrap herself and sleep that way. I know that's not exactly depicted in Fun & Fancy Free, but I just felt compelled to give him that one trait to make him irresistibly cute.

“But… I wonder if I should tell him about…” What was Sunshine about to say? Any guesses?

I struggled with Dreamchild's last scene. I knew I wanted to depict her as a precocious girl who nonetheless expressed childish tendencies when left alone. But how much, I didn't know until the bitter end of the writing process. She originally had that Pooh Bear the whole conversation, but I changed it to make her keep some dignity.

Madame Bonfamille's inclusion was a no-brainer. It made perfect sense to me. To those who don't recognize her, she is the old woman who owned the cats in The Aristocats.

And... of course... Ariel. I knew I had to end the issue with Ariel's reveal. This 'cousin' was frequently mentioned throughout the story arc, and I knew that prolonging it any further would have annoyed the shit out of readers. (Be honest.) I don't think anyone is particularly surprised by this reveal... and if they are, my bad! I didn't mean that condescendingly. But if you take mythology very seriously, Hercules and Ariel are indeed related: Ariel is the daughter of Triton, who is the son of Poseidon, who is the brother of Zeus, who is the father of Hercules. Hercules and Ariel's relationship is going to be something very fun and heartwarming, at least if all things go according to plan.

The fact that Hercules and Ariel are cousins here is weird, I know. See, I'm usually a hard-ass stickler about keeping Disney characters as they were in role-play. No familial liberties or anything like that. Yet, UDL is an alternate universe and non canon with classic Dream League, so I hope that you can let this cousin business slide just this one time.

Yeah. It's obvious, but the next story arc is gonna focus on Ariel. Yep. And that's about it, so... I'd like to thank everyone for reading and supporting, and although I don't know when Issue #4 will be released, I plan to start the rough draft very soon. Take it easy!


"Wow, this hotel's bed is somethin' else..."

[Dreamchild]

This is actually not about Issue #4, and this doesn't have any Dream League spoilers, so feel free to read this without fear.

As you know, Ultimate Dream League started as an idea that gestated for many months, long before Issue #1 was published. Along the way, I had a plot idea for an UDL issue that would have focused on a Mickey Mouse Club parody. The issue would have been a warped, dark satire of the classic Disney show. The names of the original Mousketeers would have been different, and they wouldn't even have been called Mousketeers. But it was obvious who they were supposed to be; there would have been counterparts for Cubby, Annette, Tommy, etc.

The premise is that, about five or six decades ago, there was a very popular variety show for children starring the Not-Mousketeers (wink). Initially, the Not-Darlene (wink, okay, you get it) was slowly becoming the most popular female Not-Mousketeer, but then the sweet and timid Not-Annette joined at the end of the first season and inadvertently stole the spotlight from the Not-Darlene. Not-Darlene grew resentful and bitter, but kept her dissatisfaction to herself, holding it in. When the show was cancelled, Not-Darlene would have slipped into obscurity, apart from the occasional news of being charged for federal crimes, such as fraud.

Back in the present time (UDL), the Not-Mickey Mouse Club would have had a reunion with the surviving cast members, filmed in Epcot City. Not-Darlene would have returned and, to everyone's shock andhorror, take the Not-Mousketeers hostage, with Not-Annette as the most endangered person. In her sad delirium, Not-Darlene would have acted out classic Not-Club sketches with her as the star, without her "nemesis." All she ever wanted was fame and to be loved; she felt Not-Annette took it away from her (when, in reality, Not-Annette had no idea). Think of it kinda like Baby Doll from Batman: The Animated Series. The Dream League would have stopped her, and Not-Darlene would have viewed them as tenacious pests trying to 'upstage' her. "I've been upstaged all my life, but not anymore! It's my time in the spotlight!"

A caricature of Darlene Gillespie (above) would have been the main antagonist of this abandoned idea for an issue.

By now, you probably know the biggest reason why I dropped this plotline for an issue. Annette Funicello has recently died. To actually publish this dark, satirical take on The Mickey Mouse Club right after her death, I feel, would have been disrespectful and wrong.

Another reason is that it would have basically slandered Darlene Gillespie (the real deal) nonstop. I don't personally dislike Darlene at all. I love her singing voice and still listen to her take on Alice songs to this day. I do happen to think she's an idiot for the two or so federal crimes she committed (that's not a joke, she actually did that stuff), but is that really worth an entire issue of dehumanization? An entire issue turning a part of Disney history into a tragic villain? Turning Kim Kardashian into Kim Gandershian as a throwaway joke is one thing, but this story idea is a mouse of a different color. While I confess I like the idea of this premise (nostalgic love for an old children's variety show going horribly wrong), the whole Darlene = Monster bit was too much for UDL, even as a satire. So, that's another reason why this got the boot.

Now it's time to say goodbye to this idea's company. Why? 'Cause we like you!

[Dreamchild]

ISSUE #4 COMMENTARY

SPOILER: Click to show

Here we are at Issue #4, and the first new story arc after the introductory "Zero to Hero." Yes, La Sirenetta is in the title. At first I wondered if that was a good idea, because a part of me thought that would be a spoiler. But then I remembered that the majority of superhero origin stories has the hero's name in the title. So, why not?

I knew Ariel/La Sirenetta was going to be a major character in Ultimate Dream League very early in development. I routinely consulted with Hannah (her original creator) for help, and she has given me her blessing to give La Sirenetta my own quirks and ideas. Because she's awesome like that. A very special thank you to her.

I'd like to pause this commentary for a second and say something. I said it a few times, and I'm sorry for whining, but I went through an extremely dark and frustratingly difficult time for the entirety of Issue #4's development. From the first sentence to the oft-repeated credits, every single minute of writing countered something awful going on. During the writing process, I learned something truly horrible and terrifying from the past (and that's all I'll say about the matter), my cat has gone missing and has never been seen again (more on that later), and other troubling matters. These problems have challenged me mentally, physically, and even my perspective of life was temporarily flipped upside-down.

And, unfortunately, I think Issue #4 suffered because of my inner demons. But I'll get more to it later. Yeah, while I've been going through a really difficult time, I'm at least proud that I managed to punch the keys and write the damn thing. It wasn't that I had writer's block or had no ideas to go with; rather, the shit that got sprayed on me distracted my writing. You know how it is. "Ugh, I feel sad, so I'm not gonna write." I felt that sometimes. But when I wrote, I was amazed how much I wrote. I was afraid I wouldn't reach the 8,000 word mark. But I surpassed it. I feel a weird sense of self-contentment and... disappointment. It's very weird.

Sorry to meander! Time for some trivia. (I do apologize for whenever I get less trivial and more "I did it this way and I like it that way, so if you have a problem sorry, but I like it this way!" with my commentaries. Working on that.) The opening scene with Wonderboy and Sunshine training together was the most frequently rewritten scene in the whole issue. Originally it was a boxing match (first physically, then with simulated boxing gloves), but then felt they should focus on defense more. Dreamchild was actually present in the first draft of the scene, but then I decided that it'd be better to show that she is a student in some school, and her time with the Dream League is limited. Bongo's pom poms are purple and yellow, the color scheme of the original Star Wishers. Also, there was a deleted scene where Sunshine flashbacked to her ambiguous, confusing encounter with Maleficent. This would throw too much at the reader, though. It felt out of place and weird.

Wonderboy getting a part-time job for Scrooge McDuck (wink) was something I had to throw in, annoying and unnecessary as it may seem. I'm one of those guys who needs a reason for everything. I can't just say, "Well, Hercules's parents are so stupid that when they check their bank account, they'll see Herc hasn't gotten a dime and they'd be cool with it." I was about to include a time-jump scene that featured Scrooge barking orders at Wonderboy and acting like Scrooge, not his alter ego. But there are too many time-jumps already, so I didn't wanna confuse. There's always later.

Alice and Snow White are good friends in St. Blair Academy. Snow White's feigned contemptuous greeting was to surprise readers. She's a charming girl whose piss tastes like delicious apple juice, so what if the reader read her acting like a bully and went, "Huh?" I don't know why I chose Snow White as Alice's friend. It just seemed right. One of my never-before-mentioned rules about Ultimate Dream League is that every animated Disney canon film will get referenced at least once in the whole series, so why not include the Fairest of Them All Herself? Snow White's age, 14, also helped. It's still older than the 12-year-old Alice, but not as drastically older as the Dream League members. An ancient idea was to have Alice be a loner and without friends outside of the Dream League, but that was too pitiful to be likely for her. That's Lampwick as a bully, and the teacher is Milo Thatch. Lampwick made an offensive comment about Snow White being an Albino, so I had to hastily add a disclaimer at the end of FanFiction.Net's release, but I shouldn’t have worried. Lampwick is an ass, so any insult he makes about a person’s skin color sure as hell doesn’t reflect my opinion.

La Sirenetta is Italian for "The Little Mermaid," so that’s how her trip to Italy was decided. She was originally going to play acoustic guitar, but mandolin stuck with me more. She gave Hercules a small statue of a little mermaid. The description and pose should give it away; the thing is based on one of The Little Mermaid’s theatrical release posters. I half-expected someone to point out the ‘hair covering revealing bits’ description as crass. But…

There! It’s suitable.

Hercules’s text tone, “I can fix it!”, is obviously Fix-It Felix Jr. Originally it was Sonic the Hedgehog’s ring-bling sound (you heard it in your head just now, didn’t you?), but somehow I take Herc more as a Felix fan. Ariel sang a piece of “Parte del tuo mondo,” which is Italian, and I’ll give you three guesses to what it translates to. In this universe, various Disney songs are actually pop songs. But whether “Part of Your World” is a popular song in this universe, or Ariel was just being random and singing nonsense in Italian, I can’t say.

Speaking of Ariel, she was fun to write. I don’t consider any character in the Dream League to be “the funny character.” I think all of them as characters… with funny moments. True, Bongo is often a clown, but Ariel is a different kind of funny. I wrote her as a teenager who couldn’t fickin' sit still. In my mind, Ariel was so hyper and curious and physically active as a child that she was often diagnosed with ADHD, though she’s just Ariel. I used to role-play as her over ten years ago, and I sucked so badly. I think I did a wee bit bitter with her this time around. She’s fun, and I can’t wait to introduce her to the team.

Les Poissons is a restaurant, so Chef Louis had to be the head chef, of course. I had Sunshine go in to take out the robots because I realized that she was built up as a formidable, powerful heroine, yet we didn’t see her do much. And speaking of Sunshine, upon learning her nickname “The Ray of Hope,” described it as sounding pretentious. I’m sorry, guys. I just couldn’t help it. I mean it. I tried to resist, but I just had to. I don’t even consider this a middle finger to Susan, either; I think this helps with developing the character. By taking a comment and working it to her advantage was definitely helpful.

Quackerjack has been confirmed for a few issues now. Surprisingly, he was going to appear after Sunshine defeated the robots, which would have made it his first physical appearance. However, he’s not linked with the Beagle Boys, their “Little Guy,” and those two robots in Les Poissons at all, so I felt that introducing yet another shady character for cameo’s sake would have confused readers—maybe not you, but those not familiar with the Dream League RP.

I said my dark time last month negatively impacted this issue, and, you guessed it, it’s the nightmare. Well, the thing is I’m both satisfied with the nightmare and very disturbed and ashamed. Most of this issue was therapeutic, but the nightmare only fanned the flames as I typed it. My cat Cinder is missing, as I mentioned earlier. She’s presumed out in the wilderness, taken, or dead. Either way, I’ve put up flyers, I contacted animal shelters, I talked to neighbors, and nobody’s seen Cinder. She probably is dead. And I knew that if I had a dream of Cinder being pulled under a fantastical drain and her head crushed as it was squeezed, it would scare the shit out of Alice. Sometimes nightmares happen out of nowhere, so I don’t feel it’s excruciatingly jarring. But the scene doesn’t sit well with me all the same. It’s supposed to disturb and even freak out, but it did leave a mark on me.

But one good thing that did come out of this was the fact that the villain behind this nightmare is a mystery to new readers who never knew about the Dream League before. One reader described it as “you don’t know who’s going to show up next.”

Ariel described Scrooge McDuck with a fake word, “babozillionaire.” I took her “thingamabob/dinglehopper/snarfblat” element from the original film and turned it into a lifelong character trait of DL’s Ariel. When I was in high school, there was a guy who cussed a lot but didn’t want to get in trouble, so he came up with very amusing minced oaths. “Hobble berries,” “schnikies” (though I’ve heard that elsewhere, too), and “goosegas” were a few.

And, finally, we reach the ending scene, where Ariel reveals her newfound talents. To me, the rock is so synonymous with Ariel that I knew I had to include it somehow. As a mermaid, her skin and hair are blue, and I made this change because I felt a big difference was needed. “Superhero Ariel” is very common online, and if you look it up you’ll see many different takes. But most of them had flesh-toned skin. So I thought, Ariel as a blue mermaid would be better.

I don’t regret Hercules’s comical reaction, because you’d flip your shit too if you found out your relative is a fish, right?

Welp! That’s all the comments I have for this issue. I want to thank Hannah for answering my questions, and I just want to say I’m glad the worst part of my nightmare is over. Whew. I already started writing Issue #5 – “The Calling of La Sirenetta Part II”, so look forward to that!

Peace, yo.

[Dreamchild]

ISSUE #5 COMMENTARY

SPOILER: Click to show

I already made a formal apology over FanFiction.Net's PM system, but I'll apologize here, as well. I am very sorry that it took six months--HALF A FRICKIN' YEAR--just to finish Issue #5 - "The Calling of La Sirenetta Part II." This is not what I wanted; I foolishly expected this story arc to be done with long ago by now. But I forgot that things don't always go according to plan.

You see, during this issue's production I have had surgery on my foot (I had benign growths), was off my ass for a week or two, had to take it easy for a lot longer, attended a wedding for a good friend who lives in a different state, etc. But the funny thing? None of those occurrences are the reason this issue took longer than Godot. The real is that I was dissatisfied with how things were going, and so I had to rewrite chunks of this issue (and the next one), and I also had to re-plan the order of events for the remainder of Volume I because I wasn't satisfied with the workprint, either.

You see, I never had actual writer's block with this issue. I am BURSTING at the seems with ideas for these characters. It's just a matter of getting it all in place and placing down each individual piece carefully to make the story all it can be. But what I was writing wasn't too hot. (Well, every single issue thus far, proud as I am, still leaves me thinking "I could've done this better" at the end of the night, but hey.)

This issue was originally twice as long, at least it was before I consulted with "Mask" (you know her better as Royal Pain, Mirage, and Slayer here in FD) and asked for her advice. She told me that while she likes long chapters, she suggested splitting the 20,000+ issue into two, for easier accessibility regarding FF.Net. And that's when I realized, this is pretty much like Issues #1 and 2, which also was a result from splitting a long rough draft into halves. This is why I thanked Mask at the end. Thanks, yo! You know who you are!

So, yeah, I cut the issue's rough draft in two, and that's when I realized: this made Issue #5 (the first half) completely without conflict, aside from Ariel and Hercules's argument. Scrooge McDuck didn't have a confrontation with a robot; he just commented on his nephews and... that was that. While it's clear that a lot of Ultimate Dream League is about character dynamics and conversation, it's still a superhero fic! The last thing I want is for readers to pull an Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) from Jurassic Park and say, "Uh, n-now eventually you DO plan to have superheroes in your--in your SUPERHERO fic, right? Hello? Yes?"

I really love that man.

Anyway, so I did some extensive rewrites with both this fic, and, like I said before, the future of Volume I. And now I'm pretty satisfied, so I hope there won't be another epic delay! Once again, I'm sorry. Fortunately, I have some pretty damn loyal readers who understand (probably don't even see what the fuss is), so thank you.

Now for the trivia! This is the first issue to use the "PREVIOUSLY" recap, and it won't be the last. In fact, I plan on going back to Issues #2 and 3 to add in their own recaps.

Ariel's story about how she became a mermaid was altered and tweaked many times before what you've read came to be. Originally the beach was closer to buildings and nobody happened to look at her, but I immediately recognized this as unrealistic even by this fantasy's standards. (SOMEBODY had to have looked at her!) Then it was moved to a less-popular beach that still had a bathroom, but I finally decided that it should be where Ariel couldn't be interfered with, period. Too convenient, yeah, but don't be disappointed just yet...

I had a lot of fun writing Ariel and Herc's argument, but I had to be careful. I had to make her hurt feelings seem justified, otherwise it might come off as stupid and forced. I actually used a little bit of my relationship with my siblings for this one: at times we had really sharp, emotional arguments, but 90% of the time we would reconcile before the day was through. That's how I imagine the two Adelphos: the few fights they have don't last long because they love each other that much.

As of right now, Scrooge thinks that Dreamchild has guessed his identity. I imagine that little girl is secretly playing a game: who can she figure out is whom without actually using her mindreading talent. Not that she's in for personal gain, but she's just curious. But it wasn't confirmed that Dreamchild threw the quarter that attracted MM.

Duckworth's comment about phone booths came from a drive I had through Colfax, CA. At a remote Chevron station there was a derelict and discontinued phone booth. It was kinda eerie, actually.


Take THAT, Colin Farrell! (I never actually watched Phone Booth, so that joke makes no sense.)

Prince John's bit part as a whiny jeweler was a late addition to the draft, but made amusing sense to me so I had to include it. The robot, from a design standpoint, was inspired by--more like totally ripped off from--a character named Pero from the anime film Metropolis (2001).


"Please do not mistake my movie with the classic silent movie. My movie is very different."

But personality-wise, the robot was a reimagining of an actual one-shot DuckTales character: Armstrong the robot.


"I AM ARMSTRONG."


"I. AM. YOUR. FRIEND."
(The hell were they trying to do, scare kids? That's awesome!)

Yeah, the robot was based on Armstrong. I actually did not watch the episode of the same name as a child. For some reason that's one of the few episodes I never got a chance to watch when I was young. But it has quickly become one of my favorite DuckTales episodes. Gyro Gearloose created the robot in the episode, and I considered bringing in Gyro here... but ultimately felt the robot that attacked MM would be better if he came from this unseen "little guy" (who, I know, I have to introduce soon because this bullcrap can only be endured for so long!).

The chubby duck and the tall cat are cameo appearances by yours truly and Collin. Yeah. A while ago I said I considered then gave up on cameo appearances from DL players. But then I figured... what the hell. Please don't expect cameos to be anything major. They're just Hitchockian walk-ons and will not be relevant to the plot at all.

Miranda's inclusion was decided about halfway through this issue's production. This is the first time I wrote for her and I had to blaze through a few eps of her on YouTube to feel confident enough to use her. Just like some of you guys, I'd like to see some more ECPD-centered stories, and I even fantasized about an UDL spin-off (not written by me, though) focusing on Maui, Miranda, O'Hara, and others. Heh.

John's role was also a late addition. To run a jewelry shop seemed perfect for him, so I included him. I don't think anything major is going to come from his diamond being fake, because that was really more of a joke than anything else. Still, you never know...

Fun fact! This is the first issue where Sunshine does not make a physical appearance (only her voice is heard). This is also the first issue where Duck Avenger and Bongo are absent, but they were mentioned. This makes the two the least featured Dreamers so far. This has gotta change, I tell you wut. That ain't right.

Alice's school has a lot of Disney cameos, as you've noticed. Snow White is a good friend, Lampwick is a douche, and now Alice has a confirmed rival in the form of Toshiaki. I wanted Alice to have a non-lethal antagonist, at least for a while, when she's not in-costume. Toshiaki, Bob and Weird Girl are all from Tim Burton's Frankenweenie (2012). While the story isn't as tight as it could have been (IMO), I nonetheless am fond of that movie, and in particular I love most of the characters. Yeah, they're archetypes and stereotypes, but the best characters are filled with great personality. Toshiaki being Alice's rival kinda hit me out of nowhere, but I liked it enough to include him. I was hopeful that nobody would be offended that Alice's academic rival happens to be Japanese, but so far nobody has said a word. Toshiaki isn't evil, yo! He's just intense and wants to be the best in his classes... and that's why he's surly to Alice. Toshiaki did not have Katsu as a first name in the movie, but I gave him that word because it means "to win/to be victorious," which, of course, is what he's desperate to do. His original name in the first draft was Kage, or "Shadow," because he is in Alice's shadow (or so he insists). But I eventually preferred Katsu Toshiaki as his name.


"Hmmm."
Toshiaki

Of all the children in Frankenweenie, Bob was hands down the least eccentric and most grounded (to some this might mean "the boring one"). I can't reveal my plans for him yet, but suffice it to say he seems to think Alice is pretty... or is he just nervous around all girls?! But for now I introduced him as Toshiaki's friend-who-couldn't-be-any-more-different.


Bob.

Weird Girl is my personal favorite from the movie, and though her appearance might seem throwaway she was extremely fun to write for. Do you remember Weird Girl telling Alice she left behind a pencil, but didn't actually pick up said pencil to hand it over? That actually happened to me one day in college; a young woman hurried after me to tell me I left behind a pencil, but didn't actually pick up the damn pencil. To this day that memory amuses me, so I included it. And that's a big suggestion to you writers: incorporate real experiences. Don't be shy. Anyway, Alice referenced The Blair Witch Project and was cut off before she could explain when it was released and when her parents first watched it. Did they watch it as college students? High school? This is a red herring: Ultiamte Dream League will NEVER reveal what year it is, let alone when the whole thing takes place. So that might turn into a subtle running gag.


"Mr. Whiskers had a dream about you last night."
Weird Girl.

I guess my favorite gag to write this time was Ariel's bikini bottom. I'm a sick man, I know. Poor Herc... Anyway, Ariel will retain her stubbornness and occasional selfishness. These are character flaws that I think really help distance herself from some other Disney heroines in terms of uniqueness. I swear I'm not saying that as an insult! Ariel KNOWS she's going to joint he team simply because her mind is set, and she's very stubborn.

Lastly, the use of "Ride Captain Ride" by Blues Image (which is censored in FF.Net because of their rules) came from the time I drove with my father on the highway as the sun set to the left. It just felt... right. We didn't sing along, but it was still a good memory. Plus, it's catchy as hell.

That's all for now, ladies and gents. Until next issue! Hopefully it won't be too long...

[Dreamchild]

ISSUE #6 COMMENTARY

SPOILER: Click to show

It's always fascinating (if not infuriating) how an ongoing fic series can start out rapid but eventually it slows down a ton. I'm sorry that UDL has gotten slow, but rest assured it's in no danger of getting canned! Speaking of can, how about some canned applause for Alice, who starts this issue with a surprise guest!!

For those of you who don't know, Dr. Syn is a genuine Disney character based on a classic swashbuckling (anti)hero of literature by Russell Thorndike. If you've never heard of Dr. Syn, please do yourself a favor and DON'T look him up until I tell you to. It might lead to a huge spoiler that correlates with UDL, so you might wanna hold off on researching him.

I always want to throw some obscure or 'forgotten' Disney characters into the mix to keep things interesting and, in a way, 'balanced.' But the funny thing is Mask (Shauni at the time of classic DL) had expressed to me a passing interest in trying out Dr. Syn for the role-play. I had to bite my tongue because I always fantasized him being St. Blair Academy's headmaster. It's a small world after all, eh?

Speaking of Dr. Syn, this is one strategy I've been doing for these issues. Always leave some questions unanswered. You can and should answer as many questions as you can over time, but leave some mystery left and right just enough for the readers to take note and wonder what's in store.

Alice scoring 102% on a test not only demonstrates her intelligence, but I also like the idea of her being bored stiff by most subjects despite her smarts. Again, perhaps her intelligence has something to do with the night she got her powers...

I don't think Hercules is dyslexic, and he's absolutely not dumb. I think 1) he's very casual with texting and 2) I like to imagine his thingers are two big for a phone's keyboard. That's why he makes so many typos. Giving your phone number to someone for texting can be a risk, but I imagine Alice and Herc are the kind of friends who just exchange jokes and nonsense all the time, which is ALWAYS my favorite way of texting.

This issue has quite a few deleted scenes and I'll mention them throughout this commentary. First up, after Alice agrees to meet Ariel and she's alone in her room and lying on bed, she says "Such an odd dream" and the scene ends. Originally she was going to close her eyes and 'exercise' by lifting herself up from the bed and sustaining in midair to hone her concentration. I liked it and thought it was a neat character trait, but in revising I decided to cut it because it didn't really add to the plot. But maybe someday!

Wonderboy/Hercules's sexual attraction to Briar Rose/Sunshine is tricky: I have to develop it but I can't make it take over the series. I think Nicole said somewhere, something like, "Romance is cool but it can bog everything down." That's so true, and that's why I want to ake sure that I get the point across without it stealing time from the main focus of any given issue. There will be incoming issues that focuses on the romance, sure, but not now.

Duck Avenger and Bongo's video game was inspired by the video game within the animated short 'Runaway Brain.' I love that short, and if you've never watched it, the video game has Dopey and Old Witch fighting each other arcade fighter style.

Duck Avenger is jealous for a lot of reasons, but he's not one to betray his team or throw them under the kryptonite bus. I always viewed him as a guy who can be brash and an outspoken jerk sometimes, but a good hero in the end.

Mask helped me consider diner names for the one Hercules, Alice and Ariel go to. I forgot if I ended up not using anything she suggested, though, so I apologize if that's true! I didn't include this gag due to time constraints, but I imagine Alice HATING iced tea and considers it a disservice to her favorite beverage: hot tea.

The waitress and eventual egg-faced plate were lifted straight from A Goofy Movie. I initially wrote Alice describing the soup as "beautiful! So rich and green," which is an exact passage from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. But this reference felt too self-indulgent and smug to me, and I doubt only Carroll fans would recognize it. So I axed it.

I knew Gaston was gonna be a lot of fun when he first showed up to harass Briar Rose and Herc in Issue #2, but I'm very flattered that Gaston has received a very positive reception among pretty much everyone who read it. No joke, every person who read Issue #2 has told me, or even NOT to me but in recommendations to UDL which makes it even more flattering, "Gaston's part was great/the best scene." I'm very humbled, so thank you, everyone! But, come on, Gaston WAS a popular requested character in classic DL. We all wanted to see him, and finally we are.

The reason I changed LeFou's name to L.F. was that, well, Gaston is a French name, and I felt that him having a French friend/roommate was probably too much of a coincidence. But I imagine L.F.'s real name being something like Lou Fool, so it's not that drastic of a phonetic change! Speaking of L.F., I think my proudest joke in this issue was him saying, "We're in Epcot Park! It's time to get in touch with nature! Discover your inner peace and relax! [opens beer can]" I think it's my proudest this time not because I think it's funny, but just how that's what humans tend to think getting in touch with nature and the inner self is like: going a bit to some trees, be equipped with only SLIGHT LESS THAN NORMAL convenience, and go camping! Yeah, nothing like being out in the great outdoors, to be one with nature. *flips a burger, drinks some beer and listens to iPod* Well, okay, that quote and Gaston's "I do care about her intelligence, she's just too stupid to figure it out!" is also a proud one.

This entire sequence with the purse snatching was kind of a bitch, and it might show in some awkward parts. But I like the idea of Gaston being unimpressed with Sunshine's beauty just because she wears a mask! Yeah, she must be hiding a hideous scar or something under it!

One of the reasons this sequence was rough for me is that I couldn't think of a Disney character to play the thief. For some reason I just went blank, so I bit the bullet and made it a generic creation. A serious regret for this issue.

Bert and Sunshine. Okay. So... I feel like P.L. Travers whining up a storm to Walt Disney. "Bert and Sunshine must NOT be romantic! They have to be strictly platonic!" And that's what I gotta remember, always. I don't recall Sunshine and Bert ever seriously talking in classic DL, which is odd to think about because I think they would have gotten along very famously, considering both of them are optimistic, compassionate and warm people you'd love to have as a friend.

The gas station had one deleted bit of conversation between Ariel and Alice, when they were alone in Herc's car.

“Yeah, we just met, but… you seem like a great friend. Thanks for being nice to him.” Her smile grew warmer.
Alice couldn’t help but investigate. Playing the perfectly convincing, innocent bloke, she asked, “Why? Is there something about him I should know?”
Ariel realized her error. She shook her head. “N-no, he’s just… you know, doesn’t have a lot of friends.”
“And you said you have fleeting friends,” she added.
Ariel looked down and nodded. “Yyyyeah. Guess a lotta them weren’t happy about me going away for a year.”
“If they were your true friends, they would—”
“—have waited, yeah.” She nodded again. “Guess they weren’t true friends.” She looked to the girl with a weary grin. “Oh, Facebook and emails, they can be so fun.”

This felt like a huge retread of the diner scene, so I changed it to what it is now. And Ariel singing "It Would Take a Strong, Strong Man" by Rick Astley was thought up about a HALF A YEAR IN ADVANCE. I was listened to a Rick Astley album that I received from Collin--by the way, Collin and I really are into Astley without any irony. We genuinely like his music as we're both big 80s music fans. We even like "Never Gonna Give You Up," and I could never be mad at the Rickroll prank because I would just let the song play in joy. Love it. Anyway, I was listening to "Strong, Strong Man" in a hotel, when I was on a GLORIOUS trip with my sister, friend, and two cool kids to stay in Disneyland for 24 straight hours. It was in May 2013 and it was great! But when I listened to "Strong, Strong Man" in that hotel... I just couldn't get Ariel out of my head. I couldn't stop imagining her belting out the song (despite the gender issue) and having a carefree blast. That's why I associated the song with her, and that's why it will be in her eventual Soundtrack Playlist release, and that's why I included it in the issue.

Dinoco is from Toy Story, but can be found in some other Pixar movies.

Of course, the Masked Mallard wishing for water when it comes to robots is dramatic irony: we KNOW where this is leading to, and her name's Ariel.

The MCP's back! He is the Dream League's creepy AI in the supercomputer... for now. He's like Siri except douchey! OooOOOOOoo! As a fan of Tron and Tron: Legacy (no shame there! I'M LOUD AND PROUD!), I really hope this will go in a sweet direction...

Here's the final deleted scene for the issue. When Duckworth was alone after Duck Avenger and Bongo were summoned to the Masked Mallard, originally it would've been revealed that Duckworth gave the fighting game a try. Here's the scene.

His curiosity got the best of him. While the superheroes were in the computer room, the butler picked up the Solution’s controller and played one round of the fighting game. He didn’t choose a character; he selected ‘Random.’ And that gave him an outrageously sexy, impossibly endowed green woman in a skimpy, red clothes and fangs. Duckworth had no idea what to do, so he just pressed buttons and witnessed different attacks. Finally, his character, after a specific button combination was unknowingly activated, grabbed her opponent and bit into his neck, cartoony blood gushing all around. She licked her lips and sighed after her attack was through.
He cringed. “Oh, my--!” He promptly turned the game off as well as the T.V. and marched out of the room. “Such violence! This is what children play? I long for the days of yo-yos and paddle-balls.”
The butler stopped playing in time. As soon as he entered the dining room the Masked Mallard and the others approached him. “Duckworth!” the Mallard said. “Wonderboy found someone who wishes to ‘apply’ for the Dream League.”

One of my personal rules for UDL is that I will not break a character just for the sake of a gag. Yeah, there have been moments where I kinda pushed a character into something weird, but Duckworth trying out the video game, I felt, was a bit too much. I think it'd be more in his character to leer disapprovingly at the game, turn up his nose and walk away. So, as humorous and silly as the gag was, I knew it was wrong and deleted it.

My favorite scene in the entire issue, if I may pick one, is unquestionably Ariel's time with her deceased mother. I think I've mentioned this before, but every issue has at least one scene that the rest of the content revolves around. For the first issue it was Hercules saving Alice. But this time it was the graveyard scene. I, myself, have had one-sided talks with graves, specifically Grandma Hallie. Ariel wouldn't give a crap if anyone thought she was weird for talking to the dead; to her it's a good way to cope and to keep a positive attitude. I always wanted Ariel to harbor great personal pain but disguise it perfectly by her bubbly personality.

Similarly, Alice is a dear and kind friend, but I wanted her to reveal some more of her seriousness by reminding Hercules that she'll grade Ariel honestly and not be biased--even saying this when Ariel was talking to her dead mum! As playful and witty as Dreamchild is, she takes the Dream League VERY seriously.

Alice's force-of-habit pronunciation of Areielle both suits her (I think) but is also a vague reference to Sebastian being the ONLY CHARACTER IN THE WHOLE MOVIE who pronounces it that way.

Speaking of which, I doubt I'll ever explain the "guppy incident" and why Ariel teases Hercules with guppy, and why he seems in on the joke. I think it'd be best if it was just one of those things left up to the reader's imagination. The use of "guppy," of course, comes from Ariel teasing Flounder.

During the development of this issue, my Aunt Rita passed away. I won't turn this into a sob story but it definitely was rough. She was a really, really funny woman, and she and I had many hilarious moments together. I'm gonna miss her, and, naturally, I paid my respects but dedicating this whole chapter to her. It's weird, UDL--despite its problems--has been incredibly therapeutic...

And that's about all I have. This issue had some rough parts but overall I very enjoyed writing it. And I hope you enjoyed reading it. Take care!

Next stop: the conclusion to the "La Sirenetta" story arc. FINALLY...